Cartridge handling device



Nov. 8, 1949 .1. J. BILODEAU 2,487,040

CARTRIDGE HANDLING DVICE Filed Jan. 5, 1946 Ej E-; 1,4

Patented Nov. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT oEFlcE 6 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 1same in layers in cardboard containers and in order to use such cartridges in automatic weapons they must first be removed from such cartons and loaded into metallic magazines or clips y for feeding into the Weapon. As will be obvious,

it is desirable that this loading operation be rendered easy and rapid, especially in the field, and the old practice of picking up the cartridges singly from the cartons between the fingers and forcing them into the magazines is clearly slow, tedious, and inefficient.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a novel device to facilitate the handling of such ammunition so the same may be both easily removed from the boxes and loaded into magazines or clips. Various apparatuses have been devised for filling the containers themselves otherwise than by hand but such apparatuses have always hitherto themselves been required to have the cartridges fed thereinto singly by hand.

By means of the novel features of this invention, however, it is possible to feed a plurality of cartridges into a loading apparatus all at one time. This means that the device is adapted to cooperate with these loading apparatuses so that the whole operation of getting ammunition from cartons into the magazines is greatly expedited.

While it is to be understood that the device of the invention is not intended to be restricted to application thereto, for purposes of clear understanding of the unique features and advantages of the invention, two such apparatuses may be referred to. One is such as is shown in my copending application Serial No. 633,253, filed December 6, 1945, and directed to a Magazine loader, and another is that shown in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,345,593 of April 4, 1944, to John C. Garand, and entitled Clip loading machine.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the cartridge handling device;

Fig. 2 is a. cross sectional view showing the method of supporting a box of cartridges while removing a single row of cartridges with the cartridge handling device;

Fig. 3 ilustrates the device as used to insert a row of cartridges into a loading device; and

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Small arms ammunition of some manufacturers is contained in cardboard boxes of tapered construction and with the cartridges disposed in neat layers or rows with their bullet ends all facing in the same direction. The device of this invention is particularly adapted for the handling of such ammunition.

In practice, there is provided a supporting block such as shown in Fig. 2. This may merely consist of a block of Wood 2 forl resting on a at surface and has' a V-shaped groove or slot in its upper side providing inclined surfaces 6 at substantially right angles to one another.

The carton or box of cartridges C is opened at its top so that the noses or bullet ends ofthe ammunition are exposed and the carton is laid on the block 2 with Vone of its side Walls resting on one of the surfaces 6 and its bottom Wall abutting the other surface E, all as shown. Thus the cartridgesr lie in parallel layers which are inclined at an angle to the horizontal.

The device itself, which is essentially clip-like in construction, will now be described.

According to the preferred embodiment, the main body of the device is formed from a single sheet of resilient metal. This body comprises on one side a substantially flatv supporting plate i0, more or less rectangular in shape and having a forward free edge for facilitating the sliding of the carrying plate l0 in under the topmost layer of cartridges in the box.

The sheet is bent transversely in its mid-portion so that its other side portion l2 extends in substantial parallelism with plate Il] but spaced thereabove. The mid-portion or part of the sheet which connects the parts I0 and l2 is shaped to provide a hand-gripping part I4 at the rear side of the device. This grip portion I4 is preferably formed to be curved so as to be somewhat enlarged and substantially tube-like. as shown, and makes for easier handling.

The part I2 is arranged to serve as a cartridgeengaging portion and, as stated, it overlies the plate portion I0 at a distance from but parallel therewith. This cartridge-engaging portion is formed to have a plurality of resilient lingers I6 which may be readily provided by cutting a series of spaced slots i8 therein which extend rearwardly from the forward marginal edge of the portion to apoint shorthf the Jhandgrip Ul.

The forward end portions of the lingers :r6 are preferably somewhat curved in cross-section, as shown, so as to conform tov the round surfaces of the cartridges. The slots i8 are Sp ,arranged that said forward end portions, at least, yare resilient so that as the device ,is inserted into the cartridge carton, the noses readily become disposed thereunder and :continued forward -movement of the device causes the cartridges to ,become seated securely but releasably between the parallel portions l0 and F2. y

Preferably there is a Stop 30 at [the rear -ends of the plate and finger portions l0 and I6 and lthis :may take any desired form. ings, this stop 3B consists of a transverse strip of metal .spot-welded .to the device at the forward side of the hand-grip and it Serves ito vprevent :the 4cartridges from being yforced too far for- `wardly :between zt'he cartridge carrying and engaging '.parts.

After the device has been used in the manner described so ias `to :hold the proper number of cartridges, ithe same may be held in the hand in ra wertical positionerid disposed so that the rims of the cartridges, which project :beyond the free -edge fof the vplate I0 as well as beyond the extremities of the 'nngers i6, become engaged in the :feedway V4il) of the vloading apparatuses mentioned. .Then the device may be moved outwardly away from the feedway whereupon the .cartridges readily are wwitlldrawn from the device and the latter again used Ito extract more cartridges from the cartons thereof. I

'I :Claim:

71. A .handling device for 'a v plurality of Ycartridges comprising, --alower plate imember having a forward free .edge for engagingunder a layer of adlacently-.disposed cartridges, van -upper plate member spaced above Asaid lower member vand in substantial parallelism therewith, said upper member being ,provided with a plurality of vlspaced slots which extend rearwardly -therein ,from the forward 'edge Vthereof and provide a plurality .of resilient ngers, a hand-grip -part connecting `the rear edges of said upper and lower members, Iand linea-ns ,for ithe individual longitudinal .engagement of a .cartridge -by each of said fingers.

:2. ,A .cartridge-handling device of the class vdescribed comprising, a unitary sheet of resilient metal bent `to have upper and lower parts held gin spacedfand in substantial parallel relationship by a hand-grip portion extending between -the rear :sides of said parts, one of Asaid parts being provided with apluralityfof spaced slots therein which extend rearwardly-.from the forward side thereof so as to -provideua plurality of resilient fingers vthe opposite sides of said fingers being lcurved downwardly.

.3. A .handling .device for a plurality lof car- In the drawtridges comprising, a lower plate member having a forward free edge for engaging under a layer of adjacently-disposed cartridges, an upper member spaced above but substantially parallel with the lower member, said upper member being provided with a plurality of spaced slots which extend rearwardly thereinisrdm thedorward edge thereof and provide resilient linger-dike portions, said finger-like portions having their opposite sides curved downwardly, and a hand-grip part which is rounded outwardly and connects the rea-r edges of said upper and lower members.

fl. A-artridge-lqandling device of the class described comprising, a unitary sheet of resilient meta'l bent to A.have upper and lower parts held in paced .and in substantial parallel relationship by a hand grip portion extending between the rear 'sides o .Said parts, said upper part being :provided with a plurality of resilient fingers, the

opposite sides of said fingers being curved down? Ward-ly to :form pockets for holding :the cartridges spaced apart, and means for 3positioning the cartridges -in said rigers.

5. A cartridge handling I device .of the class described comprising, a unitary .sheet of resilient metal bent .to have .upper and lower parts held in spaced and in ,substantial parallel relationship by a hand grip ,portion v extending between .the rear sides of said ,parts ,.s aid upper part being .provided with a plurality of .spacedslots .therein which extend rearwardly from .the forward Yside thereof so as to `provide a plurality Aof resilient ngers, the opposite .sides vof said ngers being .curved .downwardly 1to ,form pockets .tor holding the cartridges .spaced apart, and ,a stop member in said grip .portion for positioning .the `cai'.- tridges .in said fingers.

.6. A handling device for a plurality of cartridges comprising, a lower plate memberhaving a .forward free ,edge for engaging runder .a ,layer .of fadiacently disposed cartridges, .an .upper plate .member `spaced above ,but .substantially parallel .with said lower member, said uppermember .being provided with a plurality of spaced .Slots which extend rearwardly therein trom the Liorward edge thereof and 4provide resilient .linger- `like portions, said .finger-,like portions .having their opposite sides curved downwardly, said upper member and sadlower .member .beingconnected at their rea-redges by .a hand .grin .bart

WhichiS rounded outwardly, and a Astop member .xedlysecured in said hand grip part comprising a substantially semi-cylindrical channel-.like member arranged to partiallyhlockthe opening between said upper and 'lower .members whereby the .cartridges are .longitudinally npositif:ned .in said handling dence..

IQSEPii J. .BILQDEAIL iile .of 'this vpatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 

